Federal HR Meets Social Media

A new report from the Human Capital Institute and Saba estimates that 66 percent of local, state and federal government agencies currently use some form of social networking, including blogs, wikis, instant messaging and online discussion boards, as part of their recruitment and/or talent management strategies.

Agencies reported that social networking tools are used most effectively for knowledge sharing and informal learning and development functions. For example, 32 percent of those surveyed within the Defense Department noted using social networking tools for such functions, as well as to create communities of practice, the study found.

The study also found that federal agencies are leading the way in using social networking tools for project planning and collaboration, but lag behind county and municipal governments in using social media to improve customer service and reduce costs. Fifty-five percent of government workers also cited that they are uncertain about the future use of social networking, and many cited security restrictions as the largest barrier to future implementation of social media within governments.

HCI and Saba recommended that government agencies improve and enhance the use of social networking, particularly for project planning and public communication, and recognize the potential of social networking to address critical challenges, including backfilling the retiring workforce, recruiting and engaging employees, and creating inter-agency knowledge sharing. The study also recommended that agencies improve communication between job fields about which social networking tools they use, how they use them and the success they have experienced. For example, operational jobs lagged behind human resources in the use of social networking, the study found.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that much more than half of government agencies are using social networking tools, and that agencies have so heavily touted such tools as a human resources strategy. What function is social media serving at your agency? Are human resources functions, such as recruiting, hiring, knowledge sharing and training, playing a major role?